"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Fun Island's High Dive Mule Show!!" A showman wearing a black top hat, a red old fashioned jacket and a cane said as he walked to the center of the arena. Behind him two mules followed him but they weren't very visible because the spotlights were focused on the man. "Today we're going to start our show with two mules! But don't worry, after them we're going to accept any volunteer!!"
"I didn't know this show was interactive." Nick murmured to Riley's ear.
The showman kept talking about the act trying to impress the audience and saying facts that sounded exaggerated and kinda ridiculous. Nick couldn't believe that a mule could climb a ladder or compete in high dive championships. When the showman stopped speaking, the spotlights on him were also focused on the mules and that's when Nick realized that those animals were wearing long stretchy speedos that covered their... ehem... Mulehood?
They seemed kinda cute and some boys around Nick were laughing at them while they followed the showman and showed off their covered big asses to the crowd. Behind the high dive there were scaffolds and ramps where the mules could climb up. However, at one point the ramps ended and a small vertical ladder continued to the top. Nick was open-mouthed when he saw the mules climbing the ladder like the showman said previously.
"And now!! Drumroll!!" The showman yelled as the excitement grew in the audience. "The mules are going to jump... NOW!!"
A mule jumped and fell down way more faster than it climbed. It was braying as it high dived to a small circle pool. When it landed, a big wave came out and splashed all the speedo boys in the front rows. Some of them laughed, some others were disgusted. But the remaining audience clapped enthusiastically to the mule. A few seconds later, the second mule jumped and it made a similar effect on the water and the crowd.
"Thank you! Thank you!!" The showman bowed as he appreciated the claps. Meanwhile, Nick was trying to see the mules getting out of the pool. They must be completely soaked, he thought. Can a mule swim out of a pool? However, although he was trying hard to look at them, he didn't saw them coming out. Are they drowning? Why isn't the showman helping them? Nick wanted to run to help them but before he could stand up the kid next to him did it. "Oh! Our first volunteer of the day!! Are you excited kid?!"
"The mules are drowning!! I'm going to help them!!" The kid sounded really worried but the showman and the audience that wasn't wearing speedos just laughed like if he was talking nonsense.
"Don't worry kid. They're fine. Look!" The showman put a hand on the kid's shoulder while he pointed at the pool with the other one. Nick and the speedo kids were expecting to see to soaked mules coming out of the pool but instead they watched two young boys coming out. They hadn't see them before but Nick could recognize that the speedos they were wearing were the exact same that the mules were using a moment ago.
"Those kids were the mules." Nick babbled open-mouthed. "Those kids were the mules!!" He repeated but this second time way more louder that the showman heard it.
"That's right, kid!! Ladies and gentlemen our second volunteer of the day!!" The showman announced and the crowd started to clap. "Come here, kid!"
Nick was terrified, he didn't want to go there. If what he saw was real, he was going to end as a mule. He didn't believe in magic and fantasy but he can't deny what he had seen. He was petrified in his seat although the audience and the showman were insisting that he joined the show. Even Riley was pushing him to do it. He was excited at the idea of seeing his best friend turning into an animal.