“What did you do?” Dan raised a brow at his sister, yanking both hands up with confusion. His hands waved, flailing in the air as he waited for something to overtake him. For a moment, he truly expected some major explosion to occur following her spell, but when a second passed and nothing happened he gave her a squinty look. A hard scoff left his lips, realizing that nothing was going to happen.
“Hmmph, stop being such a weirdo, huh?” He raised a brow, aggressively wagging his chin forward. Kat didn’t even react to him, she just continued staring at him with a small little grin playing on her lips. “You’re not a fuckin’ witch, you’re just trying to freak me out! Now, leave me alone, huh?” He tried to push passed her again into the next room, but she put a hand out, blocking the exit. She leaned closer to him, grinning with a predatory sneer as she moved her body in the way of the doorway so he couldn’t slip past her into the next room.
“Not so fast, Dan.” Kat sneered down at him, wiggling her wand. “You see, nothing will happen right away. The curse will work slowly over the rest of the day as it works into you to access the animal you are deep inside... Only then will it begin to work to change you into that animal.”
Her eyes tightened down into staring slit, glimmering at him with mischief. He looked back up at her, confusion building in the crinkle of his eyebrows, but even as little as he believed her, her stance was threateningly confident.
“What are you talking about? You’re trying to change me into what?” Dan stumbled backwards from his sister, looking up at her with rising confusion. Her face was so serious as she locked onto him that it sent a chill down his spine.
“So what? What are you changing me into?” He waved his hands mockingly as his voice lilted to show just how serious he was taking her, which was not at all.
Kat just chuckled. “Stupid boy, I’m not changing you into something myself, I’m giving you a chance to become what you truly are deep inside you.”
“What?” He just spat the question back at her, laughing into her face. “What I truly am inside? What is this a self improvement event? Are you going to unlock my true potential too?” he laughed, disbelieving her.
“You see, Dan. You simple, simple boy. I don’t know what you’ll become. The spell will unlock your inner animal, so it could transform you into a noble stallion or a courageous lion if your inner character was one of great morals and tremendous bravery, but for you...” She snickered at him. “Your personality will probably lead a different way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dan snapped, but she just ignored him.
“Maybe you’ll be a big, fat greedy pig with slimey pink skin and a floppy, heavy belly...” She scratched at her chin, thinking deeply. “Or maybe you’ll be a disgusting cockroach, something that just sends shudders up someone’s spine if they spot it.” She gave a little shrug. “I mean maybe you could escape death for a bit, scurrying around the house, hiding, but it’d only be a matter of time before someone spotted you and you looked up to just see a massive foot fall towards you.”
“I can tell you, if you end up something like a pig, I’d have to consider you for a the barbeque at the party. I mean, if that’s what you’re destined to be, why wait to make you into a nice roast? Or bacon for my post-birthday breakfast the next morning?” She snickered, giving a little hum.
“Or maybe you could become a lamb... I do love a good lamb stew,” She licked her lips. “But, what virtues of a lamb do you have? Innocence? Pssh! So, you probably won’t be so lucky. Maybe you’ll be a big, fat cow instead! That seems more accurate! We could keep you around, milking you daily for my cereal and for our cooking, but after a year or so when I grow tired of the chores, we could turn you into a feast for the neighborhood. Steaks and burgers for everyone, mmmm...”
Dan stared at her. His eyes were wide with confusion. He didn’t understand what she was getting at. He still didn’t believe her, but at the same time she was scaring him. She spoke in such a serious tone, he could tell she believed entirely in what she was saying. She spoke so comfortably about the idea of eating him that he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“You know, since we have such a nice little farm in our big, big yard there’s lots of things that you could become that would fit right into our life! You could become a chicken! Then you’d spend your days pooping out eggs for me, ensuring I could have fresh eggs for breakfast every single day, right from your nest out in the coop!”
“It’d be a fitting life for you, just eating and sitting on the nest, waiting until another egg is ready to push out of you. That’s basically what you do now, sitting on that damn game system all the time. Maybe your laziness will win out and you’ll become my personal breakfast machine...”
“Ew, what?” Dan thought, crinkling his forehead with disgust. Kat chuckled when she saw him, wiggling her brows with amusement. “You don’t like that idea, but it’s not up to you to choose. It will be chosen for you! Based on what’s inside of you! I guess, really, you’ve already decided based on your past actions. You’ve sealed your fate with your behavior for years, your whole life will come up to this moment and fix what you’ll become.”
“Maybe you’ll become a mere slug or a worm, something to just deposit into the garden or feed to the aquarium, because you might not be as remarkable as I’m imagining you to be. I might be overselling you...” She snickered, shimmying her shoulders a bit. “You could just change into a little pest, a flea or a mealworm, something we’d never notice. Maybe you’ll just get stepped on at the party and be out of my hair...”
Dan started to cringe at her ideas. He was looking side to side, pondering if he could slip away from her by now, but she still hadn’t moved to free him. He wondered where his parents were right now and if they could come interrupt this, but it seemed like no one was in the house.
“Otherwise, you could become a stubborn mule or a gluttonous goat for the stable outside... What do you think will be your inner animal? Which characteristic will present most strongly?” She pursed her lips with thought. “If you ended up with a goat from you, we could use you for your milk. Perhaps we could start producing our own cheeses, milking you and creating a food for us to enjoy. I’m sure everyone would agree you’d add a lot more to this family in the form of cheese than from your company-”
Dan scoffed, scowling at her. “Shut up!”
“What? Am I wrong? What do you add to the family right now, Dan? Do you put food on our table by working? Do you help with the maintenance of the home? Do you make people happier? No! You’re crabby and spoiled and lazy! You’re rude and embarrassing! You didn’t get my a birthday gift! You never have! You’re self-absorbed! You don’t care about anyone else. Why would it matter to anyone in this family if you’re out in the barn producing milk for us? Producing cheese? Living in the garden in the dirt? Or in our fish tank as a puffer fish to prod and laugh at? Why would anyone care? You’d at least be useful then!”
“Kat!” Dan gasped, glaring fiercely at her. “Stop it! What are you saying!?”
But she just ignored him and continued, as though he didn’t even deserve recognition for speaking.
“Maybe you’ll become something else for my party, something for entertainment like a fluffy bunny rabbit that everyone can pet and play with! We can all pass you around and give your fat, furry belly a squeeze!”
“What would you think about being passed around between my friends? Everyone petting and groping you? Wouldn’t that be a dream come true?” She snickered at him. “Maybe at first you’d enjoy it, but it’d only take one stray children’s tug on long ears before you realized what you were in for.
“Though, you might want to say some hopeful prayers you aren’t changed into a pest like a cockroach because I think mom and dad would just step right on you and crunch you out just like that-” She snapped her fingers, looking him right in the eyes as she spoke.
“Though, I’d really like to have a pet poodle... Maybe your dependence will make you into a dog for me? Something that I could dress up, dye your fur a nice bright pink, and put little bows on for Instagram pictures!” She let out a sigh as her mind filled with all the possibilities that could be ahead of them as the spell took effect.
“I’d love to take trips to the fancy dog salons and watch you get all bathed and fancied up. Maybe try that infamous bright hot pink dye? Or maybe like... a unicorn dog? Or, is there such a thing as glitter dye? I want to have the girliest dog around so whenever I walk you everyone stops and stares!”
“Oh, I just can’t wait to see what animal is waiting inside of you... What revelation will this unlock inside of you about your character?” She started to snicker a little, a sheer zip of delight rushing through her as she pondered what waiting ahead of them.
“Whatever it is, it will be from you. I have no power over what you become. I’ve only started the process of your change, but what you become will stem from inside you. You spirit animal, so to speak!”
For a mere moment, Dan wondered what animal could be inside him. Her rhetoric and her babbling about it had him following along for a second, thinking that perhaps he really did have some animal inside him waiting for him to become what he was really meant to be all along, but the moment passed and he realized she’d sucked him in.
“Oh come on! Stop yanking my chain!” He snapped, shaking his head as though he could clear away the thought. Kat just snickered, clicking her tongue with disapproval. “Whether you believe me or not, the magic is already in you now. I’ve already set the curse out onto you.”
“The spell will take effect today leading up to my birthday party... As you change, people will start to react to your change. They won’t notice anything amiss, because you’ll only be changing into what is really inside of you! They’ll simply be seeing the real you!” She clapped her hands with excitement. “You’ll change more and more and people will begin to treat you more and more like your true, inner animal. Until finally, at the end, you’ll be fully changed and there won’t be a shred of your humanity left covering up your truth, your destiny.”
Dan rolled his eyes, giving a little scoff. “You’re just being a ridiculous! This is dumb!” He felt nothing. He didn’t feel magic coursing through him. He didn’t feel hot or cold. He felt nothing! There was nothing happening to him! Her magic is just some made up little joke!
“There’s just nothing happening!” Dan rolled his eyes again and pushed away from her. “Now leave me alone, okay? You’re just being a freak!” He turned from her and stormed off, muttering about how stupid her fake little spell was!
Since nothing happened right away, he just ignored her little play entirely and forgot about it.