Ivy took the billy-goat to a room in the end of the corridor. It was practically empty and had a grass carpet. There were some cages and a boudoir in a corner. She let the Martin and went to on of the boxes. She opened it and took out a big fat hamster that she kept there on the grass.
“Be good one to each other” she said before leaving the room.
Martin had yet his conscience and was looking at the room with some panic.
“Hey”
“What?” he heard his voice in his now head asking.
“Here!”
He looked at the hamster. It was like there was a telepathic link between them.
“So, Melinda got you?”
“Humm…she said her name was Ivy!”
“Oh…okay, Ivy is the new girl. I thought the witch Melinda moved some time ago already. My bad, sorry. A goat, hum?”
“Yeah! I’m really freaked out , man”
“Don’t! You’re their bitch now. Maybe if you behave well they won’t be so harsh. First time I didn’t want to believe it either. My name is Arnie by the way. I was first transformed into a hedgehog, and a multiple other things around the time. Just don’t let the instincts take over you completely…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Most of the animals you see around here were once men and teens the witches turned. Some of them didn’t fight the urge and delivered themselves totally to their animal side and make it harder for the witches to turn them back.”
“So I can become a goat forever?”
“Nope, dude. Just if you really et yourself go. Which makes me think how many of these guys really were animals…”
Martin walked around the room a little. Arnie followed him.
“So this is my life now…hum? Being kept in here.”
“They might use you for many things. That all depends on who you are…”
“For an example…”
“Well some guys who were impossible to turn back became ingredients for potions. Other turned back into humans and were released, others are here and others became the witches’ familiars.”
“Witches?”
“I think Ivy is the youngest of them all. It’s a family…”
Martin couldn’t cope with the existence of one witch; what about a family of them.
“I think they are sisters. They have a mansion and there’s a clan and another clan which dispute them. Dude, it’s a real headache, believe me”
Arnie suddenly went back into his cage and then came back with some sesames seeds he began to chew.
“I think Ivy lives here alone, now! But Melinda drops by sometimes. You might have been the first one that Ivy transformed…”
“But dude, my life, my parents, house, college…What do I do?”
“Well, be a goat and just eat and drink that’s what I did.”
The door opened and Ivy entered now dressing a hindu dress and holding a book. Behind her, a tall, and stunning beautiful black haired woman came too. It looked like she had just arrived. Her black leather jacket was wet and she was breathing heavily.
“Melinda, this one is my first job!” Ivy said pointing at Martin. The woman walked towards him, but he sacredly stepped back and screamed. Melinda’s severe and authorial air turned into a smile.
“He’s still scared. You need to train him. Is he your final choice for the Ball?”
Ivy looked confused.
“I don’t know…maybe. I don’t want to think about that now…”
“Very well” Melinda said. “Let’s then go to our friend, here. Poor guy, he served us well.”
“I don’t know him” Ivy answered opening the book. The witches circled around Arnie. Martin saw the room’s door opened and thought about escaping but he wouldn’t go anywhere as a goat. He decided to say and watch. Melinda asked Ivy to make the spell and test her skills. She did so but failed. She tried again and this time Melinda helped and Arnie amazingly became a forty years old male. He was buffed and kneeled before Melinda.
“Melinda, my witch, please don’t turn me into a maggot.”
“You did a very good job and you were a very good guinea-pig. It’s time to go back to your life.”
She snapped her fingers and was in a trance like estate.
“Follow me” she said and Arnie followed her out of the room.
“I’ll take him to the Mansion were I’ll make the time restoring spell. It’s very complicated and dangerous, you know it, so if something seems strange, please do check on me” Melinda asked her young sister.
“Bye, goatee” Melinda said. Ivy got out of the room and they shut the door and Martin was all alone.
“How many time passed? Was he turned during one week, or something? Or years? Oh gosh, why?”