"Okay. I'll tell you. Sophie, Lucy, Annie and Portia are different to me"
"Well, that's obvious"
Laura just looked at Justin with an annoyed stare.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Go ahead"
"Thank you. Sophie, Lucy, Annie and Portia are different. In the Magic Shop, there was this crystal ball. Annie touched it and believed that she was a princess that was cursed to be a frog. She acted like it was all normal, that's why she thought it was weird to be wearing clothes. From there, she actually communicated with frogs by croaking, and she had webbed hands and feet and green skin. That's when I saw it first hand. Lucy brought us to the Magic Shop and accidentally touched the ball. She believed that she was a dog. Sophie tried to find a way to turn it off and she touched it. She believed that she was a monkey"
"So, what happened to Portia and you?"
"Portia was the owner's daughter. The owner was going to sell all of us. Sophie changed her into a rat and she forgot about her father and her very awful personality. Now she's happy all the time"
"And you?"
Laura sighed.
"I went back to the Magic Shop to find out that why my friends were animals. He tried to make me like one of them. I stopped him from hypnotizing me to touch the crystal ball, and he pushed the crystal ball on me. It cracked and broke. Now whenever someone names an animal, I change like they have. Sometimes I can change into one myself without someone naming an animal. But usually, when someone names an animal, I start to think that I am that animal. I know it's weird-"
Justin held her hands.
"No, no. It isn't. It was something that some creepy guy did to you. I just wanted to understand so I can help you in any way I can. The fact that the owner did this to you. To all of you. But I will support you. If you need food, I'll get you food. If you need clothes, I'll get you clothes. If you need help... I'll help you"
Laura smiled and blushed. Justin did smile too, but he felt something strange when he was holding Laura's hand. He felt pads on her hands start to form.
"Oh no, are you changing again?"
"You must of said a name of an animal. Quick, call me human!"
Justin said the words "You're a human" over and over, naming a bunch of human activities. Laura started to feel the pads slowly return back to her palm. She was human again.
"I best get to bed. Where am I sleeping?"
"I'll sleep on the couch tonight. You can have my room".