Tail-Likes | Chapter 1

This is set in the same universe as THIs story.

The recording above is this chapter, but read aloud.

the government of Vernice did not like people who were considered “unsightly.” As a result, they relocated them to a specific area where cameras, phones, and computers were not allowed. They did not want these individuals to be publicized and instead wanted to hide them from the rest of the world.

However, they did not remove the tails for two reasons.

First, in this country, you cannot perform surgery on a newborn immediately. You must wait eight days. This is because newborns have not yet developed sufficient vitamin K. Without vitamin K, their blood cannot clot properly. Blood clotting is what prevents excessive bleeding. If a circumcision or any other surgery is performed too early, the baby can bleed excessively. For this reason, they wait eight days before performing procedures such as circumcision. By the eighth day, vitamin K levels have increased significantly, making it a safer time for surgery. Circumcision is one of the only procedures allowed for removal, both for religious reasons and for disease prevention.

Another condition that can be treated surgically is a dysfunctional sixth finger. If someone is born with an extra finger that hangs by a small piece of flesh or is nonfunctional, it is legal to remove it. However, it is not legal to remove a fully functional sixth finger if it does not cause obstruction. Some individuals have removed their own extra fingers because doctors refused to do so, especially in countries where people are discriminatory toward genetic differences. In those cases, discrimination made it difficult to get jobs or form relationships. To prevent such discrimination in their own country, the government relocated individuals with six fingers to a designated settlement when they turned eighteen. Because polydactyly is a dominant gene, many people in that area had six fingers, and having five fingers became rare. Only those born with six fingers were allowed to move there.

Tails were treated differently. There were two types. The first type was a “hair tail,” which was a small patch of hair just above the buttocks. This was extremely rare but considered acceptable. These were sometimes called “horsetails” because they resembled a thin strand of hair. Since they could be styled and were not viewed as unsettling, people with hair tails were allowed to live in society normally.

The second type was a true vestigial tail. Normally, this structure disappears in the womb. However, in some cases it did not. When children with vestigial tails turned eighteen, they were relocated to the restricted area. The tails were not removed because they were not considered harmful or obstructive. There were even specially designed clothing options for children with them. The issue was aesthetic rather than medical.

In the restricted settlement, residents were only denied modern technology related to filming individuals; This was to hide them from the outside world by not allowing them to film themselves so that others didn't see the country as ugly and disturbing.

As a result, no phones or computers were allowed. They did have televisions, but all tech to film those with television were removed in the variant of Tv these people got. There are no security cameras or even cameras to take photos; Not even for Hollywood films were cameras allowed.

They relied on theater, plays, flipbooks, comic books, and illustrated stories for entertainment as they had no cameras. They also had recorders for audiobooks and audio recordings. Sometimes audiobooks were sold with illustrated or pop-up books that created a stage-like experience. Radios were allowed for listening to music, though access to audio recorders were limited and controlled by publishing authorities. The government's goal was to allow creative expression while preventing the outside world from discovering that these individuals had tails. The only tail considered acceptable by the government was the hair tail.

Over time, a complication arose. The vestigial tail had originally been rare, but because only people with tails were allowed to live in the settlement, the gene was repeatedly passed down. As a result, more children were born with vestigial tails. Since removal was not permitted and everyone in the area had the trait, it became increasingly common. Eventually, people began styling their tails, sometimes adding decorative coverings with artificial hair to resemble the more socially accepted hair tail.

Some would even create what was known as a tail wig.

A tail wig is a type of wig that has elastic at the top, similar to a scrunchie, with artificial hair attached. The purpose of a tail wig is to place it around a flesh tail. Since vestigial human tails typically do not have hair, the wig is secured around the flesh tail. The elastic portion sits at the base, creating the illusion of a natural, hair-covered tail. In reality, beneath the wig is simply a long, hairless flesh extension.

These tail wigs are often styled to resemble horsetails. Longer versions, especially those modeled after horse tails, are commonly used rather than shorter ones. They are particularly helpful in cases involving an off-centered tail.

An off-centered tail differs from a typical vestigial tail. Some babies are born with tails located slightly above one buttock rather than directly above the buttock crease, also known as the buttcrack.

These tails were considered more unsightly and unusual because they were not positioned symmetrically. Their placement caused some people to view them as an abnormal growth rather than simply a different form of tail.

Some individuals sought plastic surgery to have their tails repositioned to the center, just above the buttock crease, so they would appear more symmetrical. However, plastic surgery in this society was only permitted for strictly medical reasons. As a result, some people attempted to obtain illegal procedures to have their tails surgically centered.

The longer, horse-like tail wigs were primarily used to style the tail and conceal whether it was centered or off-centered. The added length and hair helped disguise tails that were positioned slightly above or on one buttock rather than directly above the crease, making them appear more conventional.

Remember the chapter about the angel who removed a baby boy’s appendix because he believed it was useless, and God had to restore it? The angel, Echel, later returned to the boy’s mother during his temporary exile from Heaven. As a joke—because he could never leave well enough alone—he disobeyed God again and added a vestigial tail to the child when he was not supposed to. This angered God, because in the country where the boy lived, anyone born with a tail would be forced at age eighteen to move away from their family and friends and live in a secluded settlement.

The boy was named Alexander the Great by his mother, Betty. He grew up with the tail and had toys designed specifically for it. For example, he had small jingling bells that could be attached to the tail so he could move it and make sounds. Not only did he have a true vestigial tail, he could also wiggle his ears. This ability was a literal gift from God and was treated as something playful rather than shameful.

In his country, they created small ear bells and clip-on earrings so children would not need to pierce their ears. These accessories attached to the upper part of the ear and worked with the muscles some children had developed. People theorized that the ear muscles had once helped humans detect predators, so they began teaching children how to use them intentionally. They even created toys that responded to ear movement, activating sounds or small mechanisms. The toys were designed to be flexible and elastic so they could be used comfortably and without pain. Similar creativity was applied to tail accessories.

They also experimented with machines intended to make tails more functional, in case individuals developed enough muscle control to move them intentionally.

However, what Alexander did not have were tail backpacks. In the settlement for people with tails, there was a special type of accessory known as a “tail backpack.” It was designed so children could use their tails to carry small purses or pouches. A rubber band or elastic loop would attach the bag securely to the base or end of the tail, allowing the child to run around with an extra carrying pouch. Similar attachments were created for journals, bookmarks, and even self-defense items. Some individuals carried tasers, knives, or even firearms attached to their tails.

The country itself consisted of two islands: Little Saint James and Great Saint James. These islands had previously been associated with criminal operations such as sex trafficking due to being owned by Jeffrey Epstein. After those events, the government exiled the Caribbean residents who had lived there, suspecting widespread involvement. They then relocated homeless individuals and young adults who had aged out of foster care to the islands. Rather than continuing any illegal activity, like sex trafficking, they established an independent government and separated themselves from the United States, even though many of the residents originally came from America.

One of the first items developed for people with tails in this new society was self-defense equipment adapted for tail use, including guns, tasers, and folding knives. All knives were designed as pocket knives because it would have been dangerous to attach an exposed blade to a tail that might not be fully controllable. The government did not know whether people would develop functional tail muscles, since vestigial tails are usually seen only in newborns and are often removed early in life.

However, they observed that while newborn tails appeared limp, some older individuals had tails that seemed slightly curved or naturally shaped, almost like a gentle wave. This suggested that some muscle development might occur over time. Even so, they designed safety precautions. Instead of fixed blades, they attached folding pocket knives to elastic loops similar to keychains. These loops are secured around the base of the tail. The knife could be flipped open when needed, detached easily, or pulled free from the tail due to the elasticity of the elastic band for self-defense, reducing the risk of accidental injury.

Not all protrusions from the tailbone that seem to be tails are considered “real” tails by doctors. Numerous growths or cysts can occur directly on the tip of the tailbone. Although there are no bones in the vestigial tail, it does have nerves, blood, tissues and muscles. Surprisingly, in some people, the vestigial tail is moveable like other parts of the body.

Source & More Details: Babies that were Born with Tails

It eventually reached a point where people began preferring to keep their tails. In some cases, God corrected their bodies by preventing or removing most of the growth in certain children when it was a hinderance. However, vestigial tails were generally preferred by those living in the settlement.

The settlement was located on what had once been Epstein Island—specifically Little Saint James. The government had effectively taken control of the island. Most Caribbean residents who had previously lived there were relocated after authorities determined that the primary criminal operations had taken place on Little Saint James. There was uncertainty about whether similar activities had occurred on Great Saint James, which caused concern. The government worked with U.S. officials to provide new housing for the displaced Caribbean residents.

Afterward, Little Saint James was purchased from a financier who had previously owned it. The two islands together were considered a joint country composed of separate landmasses. However, most of the relocated individuals with tails were moved specifically to Little Saint James because it was smaller and easier to secure. A separate, highly fortified settlement was established there.

Because the island had previously been associated with sex trafficking, the government initially focused on creating defensive tools for residents with tails. Although the government viewed these individuals as embarrassing and preferred to keep them out of public view, they did not want them to be harmed or exploited. As a result, they developed tail-adapted knives and other defensive accessories that could attach securely to the tail.

Parents also began creating their own tail tools and attachments for protection. Some reasoned that if their child grew up with the appendage, it could potentially become useful. Since babies’ limbs and body parts are typically small, and a vestigial tail measuring 12 to 15 centimeters could continue to grow over time, some believed it might become longer and stronger as the child matured. They thought that through careful stretching and massaging, the tail could lengthen further.

Betty expressed this mindset to her husband. She believed that if their son’s vestigial tail grew longer and stronger, it could potentially serve as a defensive advantage—something that might help him protect himself if anyone ever tried to harm him.

She told her husband, Jackson, “You know, if we let this baby grow up with this appendage, babies’ body parts and limbs are normally short. Since this tail is 12 to 15 cm and can actually grow with him, it will most likely get much longer over time. Thus, if we massage it and stretch it out—you know what I’m saying—if we make the true vestigial tail longer, that could lead to it literally being used as a way to stop people who try to sexually assault our son.” This was exactly Betty’s mindset when she spoke to her husband.

To be continued...