Faun Over You Ch. 01

So I know my Spliced Universe stories are really popular for those that have read them, and after some discussion with a friend, I got to thinking about how it all came about. Where did it all start? Who was involved, and what led to such a drastic change in the world? What were the repercussions of something like this being introduced into the world? So I started writing. It was a simple outline originally, but then more questions formed in my mind, and it became more complex as the days went by. This is not like the other Spliced stories I have written or will write in the future. It deals with things of a much more serious nature in the long run, and it will get heavy at times. Hopefully you all enjoy it, because these are going to be significantly longer chapters than my usual ones. Without any further ado, let's get rolling!

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The crisp morning air tickled his black hair as he opened the door of his Jeep. It was a long way from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, but he didn't mind it one bit. Danny enjoyed the finer things in life, having learned to make a killing on the stock exchange at a young age, and had invested quite smartly to keep himself well funded.

That said, he was so down to earth that you'd never peg him for the rich type. He also wasn't what was often referred to as "hot" either. He was by no means ugly, but he wasn't a chiseled specimen that oozed testosterone with women throwing themselves at him. He was average, in decent shape, and he had some rather crooked teeth that he refused to get fixed.

As he had explained it more than once to anyone that suggested getting them fixed, if they were supposed to be perfect, then they would've been like that from the start. He didn't like pointless vanity, and that was part of why getting a stable girlfriend was so difficult. Most of the ones he had been in a relationship had only stuck around because of the money in the end, so he didn't really get too attached to them.

They always wanted him to buy them things, to spend money on them for dinner or shopping, and he detested it. He was the kind of man to enjoy a good book by the fire as he slowly drank some hot tea, content to whittle away the long hours getting lost in a fantastic story. Or two, if the books were short. Danny liked his quiet and simple lifestyle, and that was part of why he had moved away from the city. Out here, people were more pragmatic, and content to take life one day at a time.

He had bought this cabin in upstate New York, a few miles out from Lake Placid. Far enough from the city that he had the comforting quiet of nature that he wanted, but close enough that he could get decent internet so he could keep track of his investments. He was busy carrying in his haul of groceries, enjoying the sounds of nature: the singing of the birds, the rustling of the wind through the treetops, and the snapping of branches in the brush.

He stopped for a moment at that last noise, looking around for an animal. He didn't see anything, and the birds were still flitting about nearby, so he doubted it was a predator stalking him. He had only just gotten there the previous night, so something stalking him after only a day was rather unlikely.

He got everything inside after a second trip to his Jeep, and it only took a few minutes to get everything put away. Once he was done, he grabbed a mug and filled it with some leftover coffee he had on from that morning. He poured in some sugar and gave it a good stir, taking a sip and finding it acceptable, before making his way back out to his porch. He sat down on his porch swing, enjoying the gentle rocking of the breeze as he slowly drank his coffee.

Things were peaceful, until there was a sudden rustling off to his right. It was across the porch and out by the tree line, but something had just taken off into the thick of the trees. He wasn't an easily frightened man by any means, but this was two incidents within a single afternoon, and caution got the better of him.

He got up and headed back inside, and made sure that his rifle was loaded and ready. He only had it for personal protection if he ever felt the need to take a hike through the forest, but right now he was feeling a bit uneasy, and wanted to make sure it was ready, just in case. He only hoped it was just a curious fox, or maybe a deer that had frequented the area to graze that was unaccustomed to his presence. Regardless, he wasn't going to take any chances.

He took his rifle back out with him, propping it up against his porch railing by the steps, resuming his quiet moment. The wind tossed his hair about as he sat and enjoyed the cool breeze, and before long his eyes got heavy. He slumped down onto his side, breathing deeply as he began to nap, never even seeing the thing that had snapped the twig earlier that so carefully watched him even now.

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Danny awoke with a start, having had a mild nightmare, most likely brought on from the noises he had heard earlier that day. He reached up and rubbed his eyes a bit, blinking away the blurry vision. As things came into focus, he noticed the sun had begun to set, so he made to grab his rifle, only to freeze mid reach. Something was looking at him from just behind his Jeep.

He could only just barely make out a face under the mass of wild hair, twigs and leaves all tangled up in it. The face was hidden in the shadow from the vehicle, so he couldn't make out any real features. He composed himself, standing slowly and taking a step forward, not making it obvious that he might be reaching for his weapon.

"Hello?" he called out to the shadow-covered face.

In a flash, the thing that had been watching him was bounding away on all fours. It was humanoid in shape, but it moved like an animal. He couldn't tell what it was, and it made him incredibly uneasy. He hadn't heard any rumors about strange things living in the woods, like Bigfoot, or whatever this particular creature might be.

That was all myth and superstition, of that he was sure, but this was clearly something very real. He watched the trees for a few more moments in silence before grabbing his rifle and heading back inside. He wasn't sure, but he doubted he was going to get a restful night of sleep after this. He decided to instead do a quick search on the internet to see what he could find on whatever it was he thought had seen.

A quick search and a few rabbit holes later, and he found a few unlikely candidates. The most likely were a Deer Woman, a Faun, or a Nymph. He has no reason to believe that one of these might be what he had seen, but it helped him to at least have an idea of what it could be. He chuckles to himself, imagining how ridiculous this all was, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel that he had not been imagining it.

He resigned himself to the thought that it was probably just some local who was playing a prank on him. He had seen some of the costumes from the conventions back in the city and he knew they could get incredibly elaborate and lifelike. Surely that must be what it was, right? Well he could get back at them with a good prank of his own. Something harmless, he thought.

He made his way over to his fridge and grabbed an ear of corn out from it. He didn't shuck it, opting to just toss it on a plate and set it on his front porch. He even wrote up a short note, poking fun at the prankster and that he would appreciate them just coming to talk to him next time, preferably without the costume. He dropped it all off on the edge of his porch and went back inside.

He hadn't realized how long he had been researching things until he checked his watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. He was feeling a lot more at ease now, so he decided to take a sleep aid to help keep his sleep cycle on track and turn in. He downed it in one gulp, and then stripped down and crawled into his warm and comfy bed, slipping off to sleep before he even realized it.

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Danny awoke around 9am, rolling over out of bed and quickly slipping a robe over himself and slippers on his feet. Mornings were chilly in September, and he always made sure to fight the cold with a hot cup of tea and honey. He sat at his dining table, enjoying the tea for a few minutes. It was quiet this morning, but he could still hear the birds singing away outside.

He remembered that he had set out an ear of corn and his note and got a chuckle. He expected a raccoon had probably come by in the night and stolen the corn for a meal, but it wouldn't hurt to check and see. As he opened up the door, he saw the plate sitting there with the cob still on it, only the husk had been pulled back, and it had been picked completely clean. The note was nowhere to seen. He knelt down and grabbed the cobb, inspecting it slowly.

The husk had been pulled back carefully, with almost no damage to it, and there was not a single kernel left. No animal ate this neatly and carefully, and it slightly unnerved him again. He was just about to go back inside when a slight bit of movement by the trees caught his attention. He didn't see anything at first, but then he watched as what appeared to be the same creature from yesterday slowly poked its head out from behind a tree. In the morning light, he could see it much more clearly than before.

It was standing perfectly upright, just as any human would, but the facial features, while certainly human, were also very animalistic. The nose was large and black, the eyes a vibrant green that he could see even from as far away as it was, and from under the mass of tangled hair poked out two long ears from the side of its head. Its body had a feminine shape to it, but was entirely covered with thick tufts of fur. It was lighter on the stomach areas, but otherwise its entire body was uniformly brown.

They both just stood there for a moment, watching each other silently, his blue eyes locked onto her green ones. They were like this for a few minutes before Danny broke the silence.

"Did you like the corn? I can get you more if you like."

She ducked behind the tree slightly, and then bounded off into the brush once again. Danny had no idea what to make of this, but what he thought might be a hilariously elaborate joke by some local just didn't feel that way. This was strange for sure, but he wanted to be absolutely sure before he did anything as extreme as buying outdoor cameras.

He spent most of the day relaxing as he usually did, checking on his portfolio to see how his investments were doing, and reading various news articles of interest as he enjoyed his lunch and eventually dinner.

Just a few years ago, a major genetics lab known as Gen-U-Tech had published word that they had begun work on a revolutionary new method of gene splicing, and he was going over the latest article about them. He made it a few paragraphs in when he closed the link on his computer. It was another lambasting of their work by a rather prejudiced reporter, saying that no good would come of this.

A few weeks ago one of their lead scientists mentioned possible human trials in the future, and it had caused a massive outcry against them. There were fanatics on both sides, with the overwhelming majority being against what was essentially dubbed an abomination upon God's own handiwork. Of course the internet had run rampant with this as well, and he saw a few associated articles about the furry community and their support in all their endeavors.

He figured if anything, it would only spur more racially motivated factors behind things, but maybe if you could be any animal you wanted, it might make things more interesting. He got a chuckle out of the thought of him coming home to a loving wife who was half animal, and his mind immediately filled in that image with the one of the female creature he had seen earlier, only it was smiling and wearing a flowery pink apron, and not a thing else.

He shook his head, and noticed that it was starting to get late, so he made for his bed, but then stopped. He thought about the ear of corn from that morning and that he had offered to give her more, so he decided to see if maybe he was imagining things or not. He grabbed another ear and a paper plate, set them out in the same spot as before, and turned in for the night, not giving it so much as a second thought.

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Morning came and Danny rose with the sun, going about his morning routine of breakfast, opting for tea that morning over coffee. He grabbed a bagel and slathered it with cream cheese and some blackberry jam he had picked up at a farmer's market, and headed out to sit on his porch swing.

When he opened the door, the ear of corn was sitting untouched on the plate, and he sighed at the sight of it. Maybe it really was just a prank after all, and they had had their fun with him. Danny left it there, deciding to grab it on his way back in, and as he turned to walk towards his swing, he nearly dropped his tea and bagel as his heart tried to leap into his throat.

Crouched down in front of his porch and green eyes wide and focused on him, was the same creature he had seen the day before. He was frozen in shock, and she, because it was clearly female now that he was seeing it up close, was just staring at him without moving an inch. Her ears had folded back a moment after his realization that she was there, and she looked ready to bolt any second.

It took him a minute of deliberately slow breathing to calm his nerves, and once he had, he very slowly walked to his swing and sat down. The whole way, she watched him from half behind the edge of the porch, not letting her eyes off him. He sat, took a deep breath, and took a rather large gulp of scalding hot tea.

It warmed him considerably, and he was about to take a bite of his bagel when he saw her glance at the corn, and then immediately back to him. He waited for a moment to see what she would do, but she made no move to grab it from the plate. She cast another rapid glance over, and he wondered what was stopping her.

"Go ahead" Danny said softly, gesturing toward the plate with his bagel. "It's just corn. Nothing wrong with it if that's what you're wondering."

She slowly edged her way around to the opposite side of the steps, keeping her eyes on him the entire time, and very slowly she reached out and pulled the plate towards her. He noticed that her arms were clearly humanoid, and she seemed to have thick black nails much like a deer's hooves at the end of each finger. She was also covered in rather thick fur even on her arms, which seemed strange to him if she were in fact part deer, but he wasn't an animal expert by any means, so he didn't think on it much more.

He looked away from her, not wanting to make her feel like she had to be on edge while she ate, and he could barely make her out of the corner of his eye. She grabbed the corn and carefully shucked it, pulling the hairs off as carefully as she could, before biting into it. She moaned slightly as she bit into it, and he wondered if maybe she was having trouble finding food on her own. He let her eat in peace, only glancing over once while she did.

She took small but deliberate bites after her initial one, and she seemed to be carefully eating each kernel off the cobb. He thought about it, and figured he should probably set out a few more ears next time, just to make sure she had enough to fill her belly. When she finally finished, she carefully placed the completely stripped clean cobb back on the plate, gave him a very long and contemplative look, and then bounded off into the brush once again.

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Thus began Danny's new morning routine. After 2 more days of her not touching the corn until he came out and sat on the swing, he opted to just bring it out with him instead, to help minimize the risk of other animals making off with it before she got a chance to eat. The first day he did this, he spotted her at the tree line instead of at the base of the porch. He held up the plate with 3 large ears on it, then sat it down and took his seat on the swing.

She had taken her time coming up that day, but after a few more mornings like this, she now would be waiting at the base of the porch for him like before. He even left her a bowl of water, not sure if she would understand how to use a cup if he set one out, but she drank from it all the same. After 2 weeks of this she would sit and listen to the birds with him for a bit instead of bounding off as soon as she was done with her meal and, while he didn't say more than a few words to her after their initial meeting, Danny enjoyed her company all the same.

As the days carried on, Danny started to move the plate farther away from the edge of the porch, forcing her to have to come up on the porch to grab the plate if she wanted it. Eventually she chose to just eat from the plate where it lay instead of moving it. With her now eating on the porch, he was able to see her legs a little better. He had noticed that unlike a human, she didn't have feet, instead having a hoof much like a deer would.

She fascinated him, and he wanted to see if she would eventually let him touch her, and so he started to ever so slowly move the plate closer to the swing each morning. After a full month, she was crouched down next to the swing and eating peacefully, clearly much more at ease with being closer to Danny that she had before.

One morning after finishing his bagel, without even meaning to, Danny reached over and placed a hand on her head instead of the arm of the swing. He realized immediately after what he had done, and her ears had shot straight up as soon as he had touched her head. Neither moved, unsure of what the other might do, but she seemed so animalistic that all he could think of was to just rub her head like one would a dog. He moved slowly, his hand rocking back and forth, slowly going deeper into her fur as he moved. When he hit skin, he stopped and lightly scratched at her head.

Her entire body relaxed when he did this, her shoulders and ears both dropping, and her head lifting up into his palm, clearly inviting him to continue. They sat like that for at least an hour according to Danny's watch, and when he lifted his hand, she looked over at him with a new look on her face he hadn't seen yet. It looked almost sad, but she made her way to the edge of the porch, climbing down on all fours like normal, then stopped and stood fully upright.

She turned to face him, that same look on her face, and he realized she probably wanted him to continue, but he didn't want to press his luck when it had been an accident in the first place.

"I'll scratch your head and ears more tomorrow, if you want me to, ok?"

She immediately perked up, her ears rising and her eyes going wide. She was clearly excited at the prospect, and she bounded off before he could do or say another word.

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Later that afternoon, a storm started to roll in, something not uncommon this time of year, but it was shaping up to be a bad one. Danny made sure his supplies were set up in case he lost any power, and then watched as the weather got progressively worse over the course of the day. By nightfall, it was a full on thunderstorm, and he lost power after an hour of it at full force. While violent, it was also relaxing in a way.

At least it was, until a loud clap of thunder and a loud slam into the side of his cabin made him jump. It sounded like something had been thrown into the cabin and, given the storm's intensity, it was likely a large branch. He wasn't about to risk opening his door to check, when there was another thunderclap, and this time he heard something that sounded a lot like something slamming into his porch, only it sounded almost like...footsteps?