You lunge awkwardly forward, legs tangling, and almost fall. By some instinct instilled by The Book you manage to keep your footing and reach the cursed tome. The new mare across from you is whinnying in despair, as unintelligible to you as it would have been when you were a human. You snort at her as you reach the book. You are desperate to find a human page, there must be one, certainly. Humans are animals after all!
Awkwardly, using your large wet lips you try to manipulate the pages. Designed for fingers, they are far to thin but you manage to turn away from the horse page. Cats, that won't do. You bend again and turn, the mare's screaming whinnies fading to ragged heavy pants. Dogs, no better. You flip pages, unable to determine a rhyme or reason to the organization as you flip chapters back and forward. You see whales, komodo dragons, bears, hippos, ants, spiders, orioles, falcons, apes, eels, and more. The mare catches her breath and watches you, standing over you now, swaying unsteadily on her new hooves. Elephants, chimpanzees, parrots, lionfish, mice, tigers, six kinds of snakes. You cannot find humans, but you tell yourself they must be here.
At last the mare nudges you and you look at her. Her eyes are large and soft, and she blinks at you slowly. You are breathing heavily as she bends down and with her lips flips to the very last page in the book. There on the right page, is a human hand-print. You and the mare look between each other and she demures to you. Your hoof lifts and shakily presses down on the hand-print. Pain, like summer lightning, scorches your nerves. You let out an equine scream and rear back but as you do you can feel the changes. You are shrinking, twisting, powerfully muscled forehooves splitting and barrel becoming more human, pectoral muscles shifting. You stagger into a shelf of books, knocking dozens to the ground as you feel your genitals rising slightly, shrinking somewhat, and your eyes come a little closer together, your muzzle a little more expressive and human.
But then the changes stop, too soon, and you let out a half-neigh, half-worded "N-n-n-n-no!" You haven't changed fully back. You're a freakish middle between draft horse and human and the mare is looking at you in horror. You quickly...