The next half hour or so was both terrifying and mundane for James as he had no choice but to sit and stare at his ceramic frog reflexion smiling tauntingly back at him. He couldn't believe he was stuck like this for the rest of the evening.
Not long before her guest was due to arrive Elspeth walked over to James and began to speak to him.
"On second thoughts, I'm not sure leaving you there like that is a good idea" she explained to her non responsive guest "You don't exactly fit in with my other decor and Horatio may become suspicious."
"Other decor" - was that all Elspeth saw James as now? Still, for an optimistic moment he hoped that meant he would be restored, or at least transformed into something more mobile.
"I think you would look better outside" the witch shattered James' hopes almost immediately, before picking him up like the object he was and carrying him out of her house. She set him down at the side of her front door next to a garden gnome and James grimly wondered if that had been another of her unfortunate victims, transformed then forgotten about.
As Elspeth returned indoors, James noticed that he was still very much affected by the weather in his new form - it was freezing out. All he could do was sit and watch as people occasionally passed, wrapped up in clothing suitable for these conditions and paying him no mind. Until...
"Hey, look at the cute little frog!" A teenage girl seemed unexpectedly taken by James. She was medium height, red haired and pretty in a slightly unconvetional kind of way.
"Ugh, it's a tacky piece of crap" her friend sighed. She was about the same age, with long blonde hair and more natural good looks.
"I'm having it" the first girl grinned. To James' horror she checked her surroundings, tiptoed into the garden, picked hin up and stuffed him under her coat.
"Careful Rachel, that old witch lives there!" Her friend warned jokingly.
The two girls giggled to each other as they walked away at a quick pace. James wanted to cry out for help. How was Elspeth going to restore him to humanity if she couldn't find him. And where were they taking him?