“How can you fix this? TURN ME BACK! I want to be human again!” you yell in response.
The deer just gives you a flat look.
“Well that part's obvious, but a bit easier said than done. MAYBE if we could get a hold of your old body, assuming it hasn't been changed as well, then we could MAYBE fix you. But I mean in the meantime. Is there somewhere I can put you? Would you like a different string?”
Somehow, this fails to calm you.
“No, I do not want a new string,” you say, repeating the words mockingly. “I want a body! I don't-”
“Well, that's more doable,” the doe interrupts. You cut off in surprise.
“Wait, you could do that?” you ask.
“Of course, I run the balloon stand part of the time. I design and make many of the balloons we sell. I've got all the tools to reshape, enlarge, and fix balloons right in here,” she says, gesturing to one of the workstations.
“Oh. So, you mean you can give me a balloon body, not a normal one?”
“Depends on whose definition of normal. It would be weird for a balloon to have any other kind of body, wouldn't it?” she says teasingly. You return the joke with a glower.
You think about it for a second before replying, “Hmm. I guess it's better than nothing. At least I may be able to move myself around that way.”
“Alright, great! Then lets get started!” she exclaims. With a grin, she whisks you over to her station, your head bobbing backwards with the sudden tug on your string. She grabs the back of your head and pulls out a delicate pair of tiny scissors that she uses to snip the string out from under you. She then reaches over to flip a couple of switches, turning on the machines nearby.
“These won't take too long to warm up,” she says loudly over the noise of a compressor. “I'll need them to heat and cool the rubber as I work it. Also, I'm afraid I'll have to do this, too.”
With the deft touch of experience, she unties your knot in one swift motion. A familiar feeling rushes over you as the air begins to flow out of the hole. You feel lightheaded as the world enlarges around you. Your “skin” sinks into itself as you collapse into the creature's hands. Your vision is distorted as your eyes fold and twist about, and you're assaulted with a jumble of confused sensations as your face touches itself in ways that it ought not be able.
“Alright, now I just need to treat you with a solution that will keep you from tearing as easily at higher heats.”
She picks up a spray bottle and coats you generously with the contents. You shut your eyes in response, but once she's done, you can't seem to open them. In fact, you can't move at all, though you still can feel her hands manipulating you.
“Oh, it may prevent you from wiggling too much, too. It's a side effect, but useful. I don't need you messing up my work. But don't worry, I'll be quick.”
You're set down for a moment, then picked up again by a pair of tough gloves. The next series of events is a jumble of indecipherable sensations. You're stretched, poked, and prodded by fingers and unknown implements. Multiple times, various devices are shoved through your opening, either filling you with hot or frigid air, pushing outward on you, pinching and pulling part of you in, or spraying your interior with a mystery substance.
Occasionally the deer will absentmindedly mention what part of you she's working on, adding more material, stretching your neck, shaping your torso, and so on. As she does, you begin to notice the vague traces of sensory input from extremities you had previously lost. Soon, you can feel the rough mass of a very numb body beneath your neck, though still floppy and deflated.
Without warning, you're balled up and dunked into some cold liquid and swirled around. When you're pulled out, you realize that you can move again, and you open your eyes. However, when you do, you find the ground pressed against your face as the deer rolls and flattens you out.
“I replaced the knot with a hide-able nozzle, but I put in on your back to keep you from being tempted to fiddle with it too much. Once you've gotten used to your body, we can change that if need be. I also thickened your latex a bit to make you more durable, since you'll be walking around. But still be careful – you aren't plastic, and the last thing we want is you to carelessly stomp on something sharp and pop yourself. Now I just need to fill you up, and you should be ready to give the new bod a spin.”
You feel an unfamiliar part on your lower back pulled on. Then, lips press against it and you begin to feel warm air fill you. Before long, you begin growing and strength and feeling starts to spread through your new body. You wait patiently until the lips leave your nozzle and it's closed and pressed back into you.
“Alright, all done! What do you think?” The deer asks.
Hesitantly, you shuffle to roll over onto your back. You're immediately greeted with the sight of the deer beaming down at you. You crane you neck to look down from her to your new latex body as you try to sit up. When you do, you freeze. It's immediately apparent that something is wrong. This body isn't what you had in mind when you took the offer. Instead, it's...