Experimental Error by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves micro macro content with underaged characters. You have been warned.
The beauty of Science is in its imperfections. The everyday grind of endless experiments to prove or disprove a hypothesis is often a painstaking process. No amount of observations, materials, or even data is ever absolute. It must continue to be worked on. Save for the few laws of nature, the Scientist must work to perfect that which is meant to always be improved. To study what many don’t comprehend and work toward a better understanding of the many fabrics of reality.
A young cub walks out of Science class with a look of dismay on his face. Disgruntled and already dreading the fact that Mrs. Fabrier had assigned yet another Science Project. This time, free rein was given to the students in his class. They would be allowed to pick whatever they wanted, as long as it was approved. The ideas had to be emailed or submitted in writing to the teacher in question. The woman wanted both choice and finality, but to the children of that class, it was just more work.
At 12 years old, Jakk was no different. He was your typical student who was average when it came to most things academically. But when it came to Science and Math, he fell short. The often advanced, obtuse, and in his mind hard to grasp topics were nothing that interested him. His grade barely skated by, mostly because the teacher took things late and gave him the benefit of the doubt. But the subject was by far his least favorite, and he viewed the middle-aged feline as overbearing.
Walking out of the class, many of the students agreed. Most did not even speak of the assignment, a problem for another time, they told themselves. Jakk was just as quick to move on, already thinking about something else by the time he walked down the school's main hallway. It was the change between classes, and this time of day, the hallways were always congested. Some students kept to the sides chatting about whatever they fancied, but others did not bother to move from the main path.
Jakk was about to make his way to his next class, one that he favored far more than the abhorred Science lab that he’d just come from. Noticing that one of his closer friends was along, as he often was. The white fox cub had his face stuffed in another book. A book far beyond the comprehension of most cubs his age. But to this boy, it was but brain fodder, and he craved nothing more than knowledge and understanding.
“Pent, why are you alone again?” The lapine boy asked as he peered over the other boy, who hadn’t even noticed his arrival.
Unsurprisingly, the fox boy didn’t answer. He was much too distracted by the Chemistry book in his hands.
“Earth to Pent, you’re going to miss your next class if you read for too long.” Jakk reached down and gently touched Pent’s shoulder to gain his attention.
The white-furred boy finally snapped out of it. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were there.”
“You’re such a dork. Why are you alone again?” The bigger boy asked the same question again in case the other had ignored it the first time.
Pent scratched the back of his head. “I’m used to it. Besides, Xavier isn’t around today. He’s out sick.”
“Oh, that stinks.” The rabbit cub looked at the book before getting an idea. “Say, did your teacher give you a Science project too?”
The smaller cub shook his head. “No, why?”
“Because ours did. It stinks. I don’t wanna do a Science Project. They are lame.” Jakk huffed at the thought of it.
The white-furred cub rolled his eyes at the other boy. “No, they aren’t. They are fun. What’s the problem? Do you not have any ideas?”
“Of course, you say that. You’re a genius, and everyone knows you’re a Science nut. “ The bigger cub avoided the question, which was only part of the problem.
Pent got up from where he was sitting. “Whatever. See ya later.”
“Wait, sorry, did I say something wrong?” The brown-furred boy said, feeling regretful about his choice of words.
The fox boy shrugged. “No, but I need to get to class. I don’t want to be late.”
“I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean it that way. I was just hoping you could help me come up with an idea. I can’t fail this one like the last one. My parents would ground me if I got another F.” The rabbit revealed his true intentions.
The smaller boy walked away, seeming annoyed with the outcome of the conversation. Jakk wasn’t entirely sure where the conversation had gone wrong. Still, something sat at the back of his mind, making him think he had screwed up. He knew Pent wasn’t overly sensitive, but he also knew the other cub had trust issues, even with those he was friends with. Jakk decided he would apologize again later to the other boy.
It wasn’t until the end of the day that they saw each other again. Jakk was usually one of the first ones out of the school, but the fox boy was usually much later since he came from gym class. The rabbit decided to wait by the bus staging area since he knew the smaller boy would have to come there later. He wanted to make sure he didn’t miss the boy and turned down a few calls from his other friends.
Pent eventually showed up, with his usual thicker backpack strung along his backside. The fox was already reading on his way out, his face stuffed in the same book. Walking into one of the other students, but pushing past them as if nothing had even happened. Jakk laughed at how hyper-focused his friend was, but it was hardly the first time he had seen it.
“Hey, Pent. Sorry about earlier. I really didn’t mean it negatively.” The brown-furred cub said as he shuffled his feet.
Briefly looking up from his book, the white fox peered over toward him. “Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s that big of an ordeal.”
“So you’re not mad at me?’ The lapine boy wanted to make sure this was the case.
Pent shook his head. “Nah, did you still want help with it?”
“You would help me after what I said earlier? Really? I would appreciate it and get you back for it eventually.” The brown-furred cub felt the stress relief from his mind.
The smaller cub smiled a bit. “Duh, it’s Science. I would love to show you a thing or two. Who knows, maybe you can be a nut too.”
The rabbit couldn’t help but laugh at his friend. “So can you come over today for a bit?”
“I can come over, yeah, but I can’t stay the night. Is one of your parents picking you up today?” The white-furred boy was certain this was the case since he usually saw Jakk being picked up.
The rabbit boy nodded. “Yeah, my mother should be here shortly. She can probably take you home later tonight, too.”
Pent let his younger brother know what was going on. Of course, he didn’t mind since the other fox had plans to play games with his friends anyway. In his mind, it was an easier way to do what he wanted since only the older boy ever really enforced the house rules. The white-furred boy moved over with his friend to the carpool pickup area. It wasn’t much longer until the other boy's mother arrived in her usual brown sedan.
The older woman unlocked the door, a bit surprised that her son had a friend with him. Jakk explained to her what was going on and was alright with it since it was in the name of a Science project. She didn’t think he was lying either, especially since she was familiar with Pent. After all, most people familiar with the fox boy were aware of his responsible nature as well as his aptitude in academics.
Filing into the back seat just behind his friend, the smaller boy decided to busy himself reading the same book. Only briefly recognizing the other boy's mother in the front seat. The ride wasn’t overly long, and Jakk recounted his day to his mother since she would have asked otherwise. Pent wasn’t the most talkative boy anyway, and his friend knew this all too well. Deciding instead to just let him be while the vehicle made its usual route home.
The rabbit’s burrow was a short distance from the school. A small place with three bedrooms, with one that he shared with his older brother. As the youngest cub, he often believed that he got the short end of the stick, but in actuality, he was somewhat spoiled. Often getting what he wanted from his parents or inheriting it from his older brother. Yet, still, he was sour about sometimes getting hand-me-downs, and it was something he was never happy with, no matter what it was.
Once they arrived, Jakk took his friend back to his room. Clearing his desk immediately of the clutter that had collected on top of it. Simply pushing it to the side to clean later. The rabbit boy was far from the most organized cub and was very much a procrastinator when it came to chores. Pent couldn’t help but stare at him as it wasn’t something he would have done. Even going as far as to pick up a few of the toys and put them in the container on the side of the room.
“I can do that later. I was thinking we could work on this.” Jakk pulled out a pretend chemistry set with very clear markings that his parents had ordered from one of those joke magazines.
The fox boy stopped what he was doing before standing upright and looked at the production label. “Is that from that Second City magazine?”
The magazine in question was a spinoff of a television series that no longer aired. Instead, it was now just a satirical comic strip aimed at a younger audience. Pent was surprised to see such a publication in his friend's hand, as it was typically meant for older teenagers.
“Yeah, check it out. It even has chemicals and stuff.” The brown-furred cub pulled out the plastic containers where the concoctions were kept.
Looking at it over once, the smaller boy inspected it. Plastic containers with lids of the same type. It was hardly a secure, let alone safe, containment option, and none of them were labeled. Such a thing would be frowned on by the CCOHS, Pent told himself.
The white-furred cub shook his head at him. “You shouldn’t be handling chemicals without protective equipment, Jakk.”
“You mean like goggles and gloves? Oh, hush, Pent. None of this is dangerous. Let’s work on this, please. Maybe we can make something explode. Come on, if anyone can do it, I know you can.” The bigger boy said as he finished emptying the boxes' contents on his desk.
Pent stepped to the side of the desk to get a better look at whatever chemicals were inside. Without a proper analysis, there was no way of knowing what they were. Simply performing qualitative or quantitative analysis wasn’t an option without the proper tools. Already, the rabbit was pulling the tops off the plastic containers, and the smaller cub was getting increasingly nervous about it.
“Why are you standing there? What’s the look on your face for? Aren’t you gonna help?” The brown-furred boy asked as Pent had yet to elicit his concerns.
The smaller boy finally spoke out. “You really shouldn’t be messing with that. You don’t even know what’s inside.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Jakk didn’t waste any more time and immediately mixed the chemicals from three of the containers together.
Watching in shock, the fox cub knew it was too late to do anything now. In mere seconds, the chemicals started to react, turning from a colorless transparent clearness to a swirling spiral of purple and blue. Fizzing on the top with bubbles as they expanded before bursting. The fizz continuing to billow and fill the container as the mixture of the reagents added to the already small container.
Then Jakk added another of the ingredients, the only one that had any color to it. A bright pink liquid poured to add to a solution that was already spilling over the top. Causing the thing to sputter and churn. More and more of the bubbles began to rise over the container's lip. Already, it was covering all of Jakk’s right hand and continuing to spill over onto the table below. Dropping the thing suddenly, the rabbit let go of the thing rather abruptly, causing it to further spill over the surface.
Within moments, the liquid continued to expand, spilling all over the young rabbit's clothing. Soaking the upper half of his body before absorbing into his fur and skin. Pent knew there was little that could be done now, quickly retreating to grab a towel from the bathroom. Jakk was still standing there in disbelief. The whole reaction had only lasted maybe a minute, and he had been caught so off guard by it that it just sort of got out of hand.
Pent returned a moment later. The fizzy concoction on the table was no longer expanding. Instead, the bubbles remained present on the table surface and were popping with semi-audible bursts. The rabbit took his shirt off, but it was no good since most of his upper half was wet from the ordeal.
“Here…dry yourself off.” The white-furred cub handed over the towel to his friend.
Standing next to each other in that moment, something seemed off. Jakk looked over at the fox boy, realizing he could just about see over his head. The rabbit was always used to being the bigger boy, but it had never been by much. Yet now he could just barely see the top of his head. Deciding that he must have not noticed it earlier. After all, he was 12, and such things were considered normal for a boy his age.
Jakk shed off his shirt, which was still soaked from the concoction that had spilt everywhere. Underneath his fur was matted, and when he touched it, it was somewhat sticky. Clearly, whatever was in it was not meant to go in fur. Further stroking himself, he discovered that there was no residue of the stuff, and already his fur had dried much unlike his shirt, which was still very much soaking wet.
Tossing the shirt in the hamper, the rabbit boy decided to just grab something out. It was just another of his school tops, and whatever coloring inherent in the liquid hadn’t stained into it. He doubted his parents would even notice. Walking right past Pent, the rabbit blinked twice. Now realizing that the top of Pent’s head was now visibly below his line of sight. As he looked down at himself, it seemed his clothing fit him more tightly than it had earlier.
“Hey…uh, Pent? Do I look different to you?” Jakk asked it in the most roundabout way possible to not sound silly.
The smaller cub looked to him before gazing up and down. “I mean, your clothing is kind of tight. Did you have a growth spurt recently?”
Just as the fox boy asked that, the rabbit felt a spike of energy build inside him. Almost as if he were restless from doing nothing all day. His whole body fidgeted, twitching in place as he stood there idly for a moment. Suddenly, the brown-furred boy let out a loud groan. That energy buzzed through him in that moment, making him feel like an insatiable itch was running through him. Even as he tried to scratch himself, the sensation would not go away.
“Are you alright?” The white-furred boy asked, noticing his friends' obvious discomfort.
In that moment, Jakk could not answer. His whole body was stupefied, and all of his muscles were starting to ache. A singular moment passed before he groaned again. His body began to stretch right before the fox cubs' eyes. Bit by bit, his form expanded, stretching the already strained fabric against his body, making it feel even less uncomfortable than it already was. The brown-furred boy closed his eyes as he tried to deal with whatever it was that was plaguing him.
Pent’s eyes stared intensely, gaping wider at what he saw before him. The other cub was growing slowly but steadily before him. His body creeping ever taller, his head climbing further away with each passing moment. Already, he was probably a full head taller than the smaller boy was, but it was hard for him to tell.
“Oh my! Jakk, you’re growing!” Pent stated the obvious but wasn’t entirely sure how to react to the situation just yet.
Yet, the rabbit remained silent as an ache in his expanding form became much more prominent. Already a few seconds had passed, and the button on Jakk’s pants popped open. No longer able to contain his form as the zipper too unpeeled from the increasing mass. With each passing second, the rabbit was getting even bigger. Pent’s head panned upward ever so slightly. He knew in that moment he needed to act…and fast.
Quickly, he panned his head back toward the little table where the spill had occurred. Much of it had dried. Fortunately, that which remained in the little vial was still there. He needed to run a sample in it, but the fox knew he had no tools for it. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he decided to make use of the virtual database he had subscribed to. It was far from accurate, but the current situation was the best he could do.
Jakk’s form continued to expand larger. Wrapping his arms around himself, almost as if clinging for security. Yet that buzzing remained. His underwear began to fray, but there was little he could do about it as he couldn’t think about anything else other than this insufferable sensation he was experiencing. Another groan escaped his maw, followed by a loud tear. The remainder of his pants tore as the shreds, no longer clinging to his already bigger form.
Pent had run a quick spectroanalysis on the compound, giving him an initial reading on the chemicals within. The concentration of each was rather high, higher than anything recommended by the CCOHS or other regulatory bodies. The result is a highly volatile product with off-the-charts potential energy. The fox boy knew he had to neutralize it, and he needed to run further tests. Looking back at Jakk, he saw the boy had already outgrown his clothes and was showing no signs of slowing down.
That energy in his body continued to spike, making his whole body throb with each pulsation. Coursing through him with an occasional tremor through his entire form. His whole body was aching now, made even worse with each palpation. Even his head ached from a building fever from the release of energy. Another rip…as his underwear tore right along his backside, but fortunately gave him that much more space for them to cling to his front half.
Already, Pent had run the numbers of what he needed to do. But looking back at the table, the remaining chemicals were just as poorly labeled as the ones his friend had mixed. The fox ran a few more tests on them, making sure that each of them was what he needed. Finding that he was only missing a single reagent. Only to discover that the very thing he needed was right in front of him…the product that his now looming friend had made.
Jakk felt something press against his ears, a light but subtle touch, which caused his large ears to bend. Folding inward as his body continued to expand upward, his body getting that much closer to the ceiling. No longer fitting as well in the room. His shredded clothing just beneath his now much larger paws. The only thing remaining were bits and pieces of the plaid boxer shorts he had worn underneath now.
It didn’t take much longer for Pent to mix what he needed. Feverishly working as fast as he could with the empty vials that the rabbit boy had left behind. Applying the exact amount of product into the largest of the containers. Mixing it with a nearby pencil to make sure that it reacted at an appropriate rate. Just as before, it bubbled, but it was much more subtly. The fox watched it fizz for a few moments, hoping it would be far less volatile than what his friend had produced.
“Uh…Pent?” The bigger cub behind him finally spoke with a nervous tinge in his voice.
As usual, the fox boy had been focused on what he was doing. He had barely paid attention to his friend for the last few minutes. Slowly, he turned around, tilting his head upward as he realized the rabbit cub’s head was pushing against the ceiling. Sitting down, Jakk readjusted himself as he tried to keep comfortable. Yet that burning sensation of energy hadn’t dissipated and continued to course through his body.
Swallowing, the fox took a glance backward. He knew he didn’t have time to just wait to see how it reacted. Jakk was way too big now for him to just sit there and do nothing about it. Quickly, he took hold of the little vial where the concoction had been made. Leaving it open to make it as easy as possible for his friend to drink. Handing it over, he looked at his friend with a genuine feeling of concern, and yet he said nothing.
“Drink this…before your parents see you.” The white-furred boy stated the obvious, even if he wasn’t certain it was a solution.
Jakk blinked at him, not hesitating even a moment before swiping it. Guzzling the little vial of liquid in a hurry. It was tasteless and flat, seeming almost similar to water in that regard. Able to swallow it in a single gulp, the rabbit bumped his head again as he tried to get up to hand back the vial. The smaller boy insisting on sitting still, hoping for the medicine to take its effect sooner rather than later.
A moment passed, and that buzzing in the rabbit boy's body finally came to a standstill. The aches remained, but no longer did he feel restless. Swallowing deeply, he looked down at his body. No part of his clothing remained except for small pieces of his boxers.
“We…should get you outside so your parents don’t see you.” The fox cub suggested figuring that the medicine would take a while to work.
Pent led his way to the door, opening it and looking back at Jakk. Grunting as he tried to crawl through the house, afraid of bumping into anything. Only to get to the door to realize he couldn’t fit out of it anymore. They were stuck inside, and there was very little they could do about it. Deep in thought, the smaller boy tried to rack his brain for a solution. They needed to not just stop the growth…they needed to make him smaller.
“Jakk? Where are you, honey?” The boy's mother’s voice sounded through the home.
In a panic, the bigger boy tried to barge his way through the door. Fitting his left leg through in a hurry as he weaved it through in a rush. Pent tried to help him navigate the small space, urging his other leg to do the same. Only really having difficulty once they tried to get his midsection through the door.
“Hang on, Mom! Pent and I are gonna go outside for a little bit.” A necessary ploy to buy them time.
They had to repeat the same process through the front door. It took just as long but wasn’t nearly as awkward as leaving the rabbit boy's room. Jakk was finally outside as he pulled out the last of his arm from the door frame. The immediate brush of wind caught against his exposed fur, and the moment he stood up, he couldn’t help but shiver. Fortunately, it didn’t take his body long to adjust since it was late in spring.
Pent waited for his friend to emerge from the door. Lurching from underneath the awning of the front door, the bigger boy was finally able to stand up. His shoulders came just above the tip of the awning. He wasn’t quite as big as the house was, but there the rabbit stood next to it, not seeming that small in comparison. Gaping at him, the white-furred fox boy couldn’t help but look at him in awe.
Stretching a bit, the brown-furred cub was all too glad to be able to loosen himself up again. No longer confined to the cramped space of his room. Looking at his house behind it, able to see over the awning, made him realize just how big he’d gotten. As he looked down at himself, it dawned upon him that the buzzing feeling had gone away. Figuring that the worst of it had to be over, he peered over toward Pent, who was still staring at him.
“So…uh, what now?” The bigger boy couldn’t help but ask.
The fox boy looked up and down at his friend. At the very least, the temporary solution had stopped him from growing any more. But that didn’t solve the problem of getting him back to normal. Especially before his parents saw him, lest they blame him for what happened, as he was all too certain they would.
“I need to work on an antidote. Your mother probably won’t check up on us out here, but we don’t have all night. “ Pent recalled that the rabbit's mother was supposed to take him home, and he figured it would probably be around their usual dinner time or shortly before it.
Jakk started walking around aimlessly, feeling a bit awkward about how bare he was in the situation. Each stride he took was clumsy, and his legs felt wobbly, almost as if he wasn’t used to the new frame just yet. But the distance it took him made him feel funny. Almost reminding him of those old monster films where giant beasts loomed over cities. A smirk crept across his face as he got an idea.
“Hey, Pent. Watch this.” Jakk said as he took a few steps closer toward the smaller boy.
Not reacting immediately, the white-furred cub was still deep in thought. His friend now looming over with that goofy smirk on his face. A look of cool confidence about him as Jakk peered down at him with mischief. Suddenly, playfully pushing him down before pinning him there a moment with one of his larger hands. Pent couldn’t help but squirm and was easily able to get out since his friend wasn’t really trying to keep him down.
“That’s not funny, Jakk. We need to fix this.” Pent said with a serious tone as he picked himself up.
The rabbit boy sighed as he knew it was true. “Fine…”
Immediately, the smaller cub got to work. Again, running down the possibilities of reagents he could use from his phone’s chemical database. Now, outside, he had much more available to him. Quickly gathering each of what he found that could be useful. The day continued to fritter away as the darkness became more apparent. It wasn’t much longer before Jakk’s mother came to check on them. Fortunately, it was merely a reminder.
“Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes, boys! She called to them through an open window but did not look out.
Pent rushed as he began to crush the ingredients together. Mixing them with a stone, using a nearby slab of wood as a serving tray. The whole process took only mere seconds, and the smell of it was rather foul once the whole thing was put together. Without delay and without time for testing, the fox boy handed it to his friend. The larger boy was now all too willing to cooperate, especially since time was now very clearly running out.
Gorging himself on the pasty goo, Jakk found it to be bland and that it even stuck to the upper part of his mouth. It made him gag a bit, but he forced himself to swallow it. Wanting something to drown it with, but such luxuries were not available. In a matter of seconds, his stomach felt like it was churning. A sickness fell over him as his body responded to the condensed natural ingredients now coursing through him.
“Just…try to relax.” The fox boy said almost as if he had expected it.
Nodding, the bigger boy decided to trust his friend. A moment passed, and his stomach churned again, causing a shiver to course through his very body. Suddenly, his form began to shrink little by little. That pit in his stomach remained exacerbated only by the fact that he was hungry, but he ignored it even still. Pent smiled as he watched his friend slowly returning to normal. Gazing at his watch for a moment, he only hoped it would be fast enough.
“Boys! Where are you?” The rabbit’s mother beckoned yet again, this time from the door as if looking for them.
Just as she said this, the rabbit boy's form had returned to normal. Though he was still essentially in his birthday suit. She simply stared at him and chuckled. Almost as if assuming they were playing some silly children's game she was unaware of. Finally going inside, she motioned for them to follow. The two boys took a deep sigh of relief, glad that things had gone back to normal. Returning inside, the rest of their night would be far less eventful. Finishing a much simpler project. Everything was as it should be, and things were back to normal once again.
