Chapter Three: New Lead
Processing, Orange had decided, was hell. As he walked through the darkness, he followed close behind the fluffy that was in front of him, with another so close behind he could feel their breath on his tail. From both sides, he could feel solid walls that kept the fluffies in a single file line. As he trundled forward, he could see a light ahead, where two of the blue aproned workers were taking turns picking up stallions and colts, placing the fluffies on two conveyor belts according to size. As Orange drew closer to the front of the line, he could begin to hear complaints of “Why weggies nu wowk?” and “Whewe weggies gu?” growing more distant as the moving belts ferried the standing fluffies away. Once he reached the front, he sat back on his haunches and made the “gib upsies” pose as one of the workers reached down for him, and it was then he could see what the source of the complaints was. Strange boards with four holes in them, of various sizes, were laying on tables next to the workers. As Orange watched with morbid curiosity, his legs were slotted into the holes, and it was then he knew why the others ahead of him were complaining about their leggies. As the board was set onto pegs sticking up off the conveyor, there came a series of clicks. Orange was aware that he couldn’t feel anything beneath his hooves, a few idle steps in the air told his little brain as much, but the board wouldn’t move either! As the belt continued along, there was a series of lights overhead to make sure no fluffy was too scared. The young fluffy was slightly aware he was moving forward, but he wasn’t walking! These “hoomin” sure had some strange magic!
After a couple forevers, Orange came to the next leg of his journey. The smell of shit, urine, and fruits filled the air, but only faintly. Craning his neck around, he could see a small flap in the wall, which fluffies ahead were passing through. When it came his time to pass through, Orange was immediately hit with the full power of the mingling scents and the wails of the damned. Quickly glancing around in a panic, he could see dozens of the blue aprons, along with dozens of wet fluffies. Not one discernable voice was audible above the din in the room, and before Orange could make a protest, his board was lifted from the conveyor and he was transported to a station, where an extra poofy, yet shellshocked fluffy was just leaving. His meager bravery depleted, Orange mustered up what he could as he looked into the blank mask of the worker standing over him.
“Pwease, nice mistah, wet Owange gu? Am gud fwuffy, nu wan huwties.” he pleaded, trying his best to convince the worker to set him free, to avoid what he could only perceive was a threat to his life. Without a word, not that Orange would have been able to hear anything over the cries of the fluffies around him, the worker reached down to the board and pressed some recessed buttons, which made a couple of clicks, and lifted Orange up, scooting the board to the side.
“Fank ou, nice mistah, Owange wub-” the young fluffy stopped in his tracks, or more accurately, what he thought was his tracks. Why were his leggies not moving? Glancing down, he could see that while he was free of the board, the leg binders were still there, joined together by an X shape. The board, still in view, had a similar X shape missing from it. Putting one and one together, Orange’s ears dropped, and he looked fearfully up at the worker.
“Pwea-” was all he managed before the wawas started to rain on him from above. Though it was a nice lukewarm temperature that was particularly pleasing to fluffies, the constant barrage of water and previous lack of grooming meant that Orange was absolutely terrified of what was happening. He immediately voided his bowels as he tried once again in vain to escape, but this only brought attention to his rear end. The water pulsed against his fluff, soaking in deep and getting the loosest of the dirt, shit, and whatever else was stuck in his fluff out. His protests went unheard as he was lathered up, the gloved fingers working the suds deep into his water logged fluff. Extra care was taken around his special lumps and poopie place, getting as many stains out as possible. He was brushed mercilessly, chunks of matted and loose fluff falling out into the water and collecting around the drain.
By the end of it, Orange was a shivering mess of wet fluff, but so much cleaner than before. Then came the noisy, warm air. What Orange thought would take him many bright times to dry out only took minutes, the water either evaporating or being pushed from his fluff. Along with the air came a softer brushing, fluffing up the fluffy more than he had ever been before. Once he was silky smooth and poofed up, he was fitted back onto the board and placed onto the conveyor once more, a bit shaken, but alive. Other fluffies were finishing getting bathed, and as far as Orange could tell, no one had drowned from the wawas.
In the next room, there were blue aproned workers, but also ones with white coats and aprons. Fluffies were crying about hurties, or complaining about their special lumps and poopie places being touched, giving Orange a peek into this next level of hell. His board was taken from the conveyor by one of the blue aprons, then the poor fluffy was set before one of the white coats. Once again, Orange tried to bargain with his perceived tormentors.
“Pwease nice mistah, Owange nu wan huwties nu mowe. Wet Owange gu, am gud fwuffy.” he mewled in defeat, his voice barely a murmur amongst the crowd. The white coat scribbled something on a piece of paper attached to white plastic board, then began examining Orange quite intrusively. Fingers prodded at his ribs and belly and more notes were scribbled down. Then the white coat picked up a shiny stick, and Orange felt his tail being lifted.
“Wha am nice mist-EEEEEEEE!” He squealed out as the cold glass of the thermometer was inserted into his rectum, then came “Huu huu, nu wike shiny stick in poopie pwace…” as the doctor left the thermometer there to get an accurate read of Orange’s temperature. Thermometer still inside, Orange was flipped upside down, the leg binders helping to keep him flat on his back. As he lay there, humiliated by having something stuck in his butt, Orange then felt an odd sensation around his special lumps.
“Nuuuu, nu touchie speciaw wumps! Nu am fow touchies!” He protested, trying to wriggle away from whatever it was being clamped around his fuzzy little nuts. It didn’t hurt, per se, but it wasn’t comfortable being touched there, either! After a couple more notes were jotted down, and the rest of his body checked over, he was once again right side up, and the thermometer was thankfully then slid from his rump. After the last of the notes were jotted down, Orange was placed back into the board proper. A blue apron set down a tray just out of his line of sight, and the white coat reached for it, fiddling with something the fluffy couldn’t see. The scruff of his neck was then promptly grabbed, but he wasn’t lifted up like he was expecting.
“Huu huu huu, pwease, nu mowe touchies. Nu bad upsie-SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! WOWSTEST POINTY HUWTIES!” The jab of the needle into the scruff of his neck was the worst pain he had ever felt, even worse than when the toughies had roughly held him down and made him watch as his siblings were murdered. The sharp pinpoint of pain radiated out, but as soon as it started, it stopped.
“Huuuuuuu, why gib Owange huwties? Am gud fwuffy!” He bawled, tears staining his freshly washed face. Without so much as a word, he was placed back onto the belt, still sobbing as he wondered what torture next awaited him.
Torture that never came, as the conveyor pulled away the entire leg board, letting Orange free just in time for him to spill out once more into the light of the sun. He was finally through processing, washed, inoculated and chipped, along with the rest of the herd. A few minutes passed as the last stragglers made their way out of their respective tunnels. As far as he could tell, everyone was there, and they were gathering in one place. In front of the Director.