Although he was tempted, Derrick somehow knew deep down that if he gave in to his lust he would complete his transformation into a horse and remain in this pasture for the rest of his life with the other horses. Part of Derrick really did want to stay. His new body felt good, powerful. And the simple easy going life of a horse seemed to be pretty nice. Sure he would have to do a little work now and then, but it was nothing his strong new body couldn't handle with ease. Most of his time would be spent idly grazing, running wild and free, and ..... mating.
But Derrick wasn't ready to give in just yet. He had a life, a family he missed desperately. He had to change back ...had to get help .... had to get back to the ranch and talk to his family.
The mare whinnied impatiently, lifting her tail and turning her head to look back in Derrick's direction. But Derrick was already gone, running faster than he thought possible back towards the main cabins of the ranch.
Despite his speed, it was late when he made it to the common area of the ranch. Several families were milling about a large bonfire, toasting marshmallows or just idly talking. A few people gave him a curious sidelong glance, but no one seemed really disturbed by his appearance. It was just as Bud and the girl had promised - he fit right in, perfectly dressed for his new appearance. After a quick search of the crowd, Derrick spotted his parents and little sister talking to another couple. Although he still felt uncomfortable about his nudity, he didn't care enough to hide it anymore. Derrick confidently strode up behind his mother.
"Mom!" said Derrick happily as he put a hand on her shoulder.
It was strange looking down at her. His parents seemed so different now, so small and weak. His mother turned and gasped at the sight of him, backing away.
"Oh my," she said nervously. "You startled me. Just where did you come from, big fella? You gave me quite the fright."
Derrick's father stood beside his mother, eyeing him warily and shielding her protectively. Only his younger sister looked unperturbed, staring at him with undisguised delight. She looked over his body with excitement and wonder. Derrick felt like some kind of strange animal exhibited at a zoo and it made him uncomfortable.
"It's me, Derrick, " said Derrick thickly. His odd mouth and thick tongue made speaking more difficult, not to mention the deep timber of his voice. But Derrick thought he was still intelligible.
"Oh, Derrick, you say. I have a son named Derrick, " said his mother nervously. "I am sure he would love to meet you. But unfortunately he is spending his vacation in a different part of the ranch, a special program...."
"No, I am Derrick," repeated Derrick again with frustration. It was hard to speak, so he had to concentrate and choose his words carefully, enunciating each word with meticulous care.
"Yes, you are Derrick. Nice to meet you. Now be on your way. We don't have any treats for you," said his father, trying to shoo him away.
Derrick stamped his heavy hoof hard on the ground in frustration, sending up a heavy plume of dust. His parents backed away even more, drawing closer together.
"Easy there, stud," said a familiar voice. "Don't worry, folks. These critters may be big, but they are harmless. Gentle as a lamb. But they ain't too bright and get a little skittish if they don't understand."
Derrick felt a smooth hand rub his back and flank, scratching it and sending pleasure rocketing up and down his spine. Derrick couldn't resist gently tapping his foot.
"See, it's all right. Easy, boy. Have a treat," said the voice holding up an apple to his face. Derrick chomped on it reflexively, grabbing the small apple in his hand as the person offering it let go.
He continued to chew as the person stepped in front of him, between Derrick and his parents. Even in the dim light of the fire he could recognize her - it was the blonde girl who offered him more work earlier!
"You folks better move on. He's a nice one, but he is still a bit young and hasn't been properly trained. I need to wrangle him back to the barn with the others."
"Thank goodness you came by, Daisy. It seems dangerous to let such a creature just wander around. Why on earth would you let it out? " asked his mother.
Daisy? thought Derrick as he continued to eat. Her name is Daisy? That has to be some kind of joke.
"Well, we need to get 'em used to being round people. Best to do that while they are young. Otherwise they never get used to em," said Daisy.
"That's a young one? I would hate to imagine how much bigger it will get, " said his father.
Daisy chuckled. "He is fully grown, mister, but he is still pretty wet behind the ears. Horses grow up pretty fast, specially round here."
Derrick finally finished his apple. He didn't like all these people talking about like he wasn't standing in front of them, like he was just some dumb animal.
"Mom..."
Daisy popped another apple in front of him and he greedily took it from her, munching on it happily.
"Well, I think he had enough excitement for tonight. Best get him back to the barn, " said Daisy, as gently tugged on his free hand.
"Can I pet him?" asked his little sister.
Daisy frowned, but relented.
"Okay, but be real careful. He is still a bit nervous around folks, even kind folks like you. I would hate to have to punish him for misbehaving. Or for any of you to get hurt because of his bad behavior," said Daisy. She glared up at Derrick as she emphasized the word 'punish'. He got the message - behave or be punished. Or worse, his family might be punished because of him.
Daisy gently guided his sister's hand towards his thigh. She was smiling, but he could see that his little sister's hand was shaking nervously. As she gently brushed his strong thigh, his quadriceps muscle twitched reflexively. His little sister giggled with delight.
"Okay, time to get your home, partner," said Daisy, firmly planting a hand on his broad back and pushing him away from the bonfire.
Derrick just finished his apple as they were out of earshot of the other guests.
"You can't keep me here. I will escape," said Derrick.
Daisy sighed. "This sure would have been easier if you just had relaxed and had some fun with that mare. Listen kid, this isn't meant to be torture or something like that. It's part of the ranch vacation A few lucky guests get to experience life on the other side. I mean, aren't you enjoying yourself? Well, you would be if you could simply relax and go with the flow. It's not like it's permanent or anything. It will wear off by the time you leave. Trust me."
"Trust you? Yeah right. If it's not such a big deal, then why wouldn't you let me tell my family about it?"
Daisy sighed again, clearly frustrated. Derrick got the impression this wasn't the first time she had this problem with a guest.
"The Changin' ain't easy. If everyone knew about it, we would get swamped with more requests than we could handle. Not to mention if other less scrupulous people found out what we could do here. So, we choose a few select people, special people like you. We can't tell em beforehand or it might cause a stir if they blabbed what we were offerin to others. And afterwards most people are so pleased with their vacation they are happy to keep the secret for us. Some even come back for another go round."
Derrick was still skeptical. Daisy could tell by the look on his face.
"Listen - you seem like a good kid. That's one of the reasons you were selected. I can't change you back just yet. We have to wait until your time is up. But I can't have you running around the ranch telling every Tom, Dick and Harry what happened to you. I don't want to lock you up, but I will if I have to. Spending your vacation in a barn with limited time in the pasture ain't necessarily bad, but it sure is boring. Can I trust you to keep quiet?"
Derrick nodded eagerly.
"I'd like to believe you, but somehow I just don't trust you yet. We'll talk it over again in the morning. For now, let's get you settled in and introduce you to your bunkmates," said Daisy.
"Bunkmates?" asked Derrick with confusion.
"Well, sure! You didn't think you were the only one to be blessed with the Change, did ya? I mean, we can't do it for everybody but we certainly can do it for more than one person."
Daisy threw open the door to the barn they had been slowly walking towards. Derrick was shocked to see other anthropomorphic horses milling about. They varied in size and breed, one as small as a pony and another even larger than himself.
"Well, don't be shy, stud. Go introduce yourself to your new pals, " said Daisy as she slapped him hard on the rump.
Derrick stumbled forward to greet his new companions. It wasn't until Daisy closed and locked the barn door that Derrick noticed something else about his new friends, something Daisy had neglected to mention - they were all mares!