Dome Child
“I don’t know what the FUCK I’m going to do, Ki Kwang!” Doojoon’s fist came down hard on the man’s loveseat.
“Hey, watch the furniture, will you?” he walked over to the arm Doojoon so powerfully pounded and brushed at the fabric, “and I dunno what to tell you…”
“I mean-…” the man sighed and rested his head on the back of the chair, “you were never like that when I had you! D-…did you ever feel like that though? Like…i-in heat? Like Yoseob is?”
“Are you kidding me master!? At least three times a month after I was 14, and sometimes the waves lasted for a good month. Like, seriously, a whole entire month I would be in heat. I’m just lucky I knew where you kept your toys…” Ki Kwang snickered as Doojoon went wide eyed and seemed completely baffled.
Confused? I don’t blame you, reader. Maybe you’ll better understand it if I explain it a little, would you like that? The problem displayed before us cannot be understood by merely reading the text. One must go back and return to the root of the problem.
You see, in this world, there’s no such thing as dogs, cats, or domestic pets of any kind. Sure, there’s cow, sheep, tigers, pandas, and other wild animals in this universe but this dimension’s God, chose not to include man’s best friend. He did, however, create a brand new type of pet.
Well, it wasn’t a pet per se, but a new human gene. Only 1 out of 200,000 people are ever born with it, and the type is so rare because, unlike other genes, it isn’t passed on. Oddly enough it’s the only gene that randomly pops up in a certain human being’s genome, turning them into a human pet of sorts. They grow ears similar to a cat’s or a dog’s and a tail, their most noticeable traits. They vary in personality, and no type of personality is common, which is the only way they are really human psyche wise. All of their other body parts are kept human, from their head, to their toes, and that does not exclude private areas.
Unfortunately, for these poor souls that are transformed into animals, law forbids the parents to keep their child and raise them as their own. Immediately after birth, tests for “domestication” are carried out to determine whether or not their child is a “domechild,” as they are known, or a regular human baby. Results are known within the hour of birth, and parents of a “domechild” are notified immediately of the test results. Most parents say that hearing that their child is a “domechild” is just as bad as being notified that said child, is dead.
From the maternity ward, “domechildren” are handled by the government right away. They are well taken care of, well fed, and well groomed. At least, that’s what the government has told us. As soon as they reach a certain age, the government transports them to the nearest “Dome Corporation” building, a company that specializes in the handling of “alternative” humans. From the building they are transported to the nearest “Dome Friends” pet store, where they are sold to actual human beings.
The process would seem disgusting to any other human being in another dimension, but, it is life in this one.
Still confused on how this all relates back to Doojoon? I don’t blame you. I’ll try to explain it a little more, okay?
You see, Doojoon has had a “domechild” of his own.
The story begins at Doojoon’s local “Dome Friends” store, where he has become well known as a lover of “domechildren,” even though he has only ever had one in his whole life.
His first experience with dome people started when he was a little kid. His mother noticed how he was such a quiet kid. Doojoon never had any friends, and he didn’t make any effort to make any friends. His mother thought it weird that he had not invited any friends over to their house, and their house was pretty! She thought that the only way to solve her son’s introverted-ness, was through the purchase of a dome child.
Doojoon’s mother bought him a dome child for Christmas one year as a surprise, even though Doojoon didn’t ask for anything that year because he knew that his mother was going through somewhat of a dry spell in terms of money. She packed him in a package large enough to fit a child, just before Doojoon got up to open presents.
“Mommy? What is this?” he tugged on her sleeping gown and pointed at the large box.
“It’s for you honey, open it” Doojoon’s mother smiled down at his 8 year old face and patted his head, “I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Doojoon smiled back, giggling as he ran over excitedly to open his present. He ripped the wrapping and tore through the box, elated that he was getting something THIS BIG.
The dome child was sleeping as Doojoon slowly opened the box, standing up at the same time, its ear’s twitching cutely and its tail resting between its legs.
Doojoon looked back at his mother, surprised at the little dome child sleeping before him.
“Go on, wake him up, honey…” she nodded to the dome child in the box and curious little Doojoon did what she said.
He reached out to touch its ears, flinching and jumping back when they twitched particularly hard at his touch.
It yawned, stretching its 6 year old body in the box and rubbing its eyes, smacking its lips as one would when the moment they get up.
“Are you my master?” it said, looking at Doojoon with sleepy eyes.
He nodded, petting the dome child on the head. “I-…I am.”
In a sudden burst of energy, the dome child tackled him to the ground, hugging him tight around the chest and nuzzling his head in the soft fabric, “Hi master!” This dome child was especially perky, which is a rare find in terms of domechildren.
“H-hi.”
By Doojoon’s expression alone, any onlooker could easily tell that he quickly warmed up to his domechild. He had never been hugged by anyone other than his mother before, and to feel another child near his age, hug him, was the greatest feeling in the world. He started to cry, hugging the dome child back and deeming the domechild his new best friend.
“K-Kwangie…I wanna name him Ki Kwang, is that okay mommy?” he looked up at his mother as his hand never stopped ruffling Ki Kwang’s head of black hair.
“Sure honey, that’s a perfect name.”
Part 2