"So, what do we do now?" Alison asked.
Emily nodded. She did her best to think up a solution. The truth was that Emily couldn't think of a way out.
She accepted that even if they escaped the pen and somehow managed to swim back to mainland that they would still be donkeys.
They were already starting to think and act like the donkeys they'd become. Getting home would be an empty victory if their physical and/or mental state made living there impossible.
All that assumed they'd retain their ability to speak. If they ended up like the boys and girls who'd changed so much that they couldn't even speak, they'd be facing a serious issue.
For one, they'd for all intents and purposes, be donkeys. Anyone could capture them, sell them or use them to do almost any sort of work, no matter how unpleasant. Few would care about the welfare of a donkey. Even if people knew they used to be girls, some might not care or would argue that once they were donkeys, they were donkeys and should be regarded as such.
In short, they were in way over their heads. The only solution it seemed to appeal to the Coachman's mercy and beg him to change them back.
Emily discussed her thoughts with Alison and Stephanie.
"He's a bad girl, he'll never change us back," Alison said.
"She's right, Emily. The girl's trick wouldn't work if it was easy to change us back," Stephanie said.
Alison frowned.
"I hate him for doing this to us," Alison said. She stomped her right fore hoof. "We can't be stuck this way! I don't want to be a donkey forever!"
Emily could see the anger forming within Alison growing stronger. Said anger made itself obvious when Alison walked to the door to the pen, turned around and started bucking and kicking at it. The door shook a bit but its strength was a bit too much for Alison.
"Let me outta here, you bastard," Alison said.
"Alison, you gotta calm down," Emily said.
“HEEEE HAAAAW! HEEEE HAAAAW! HEEEE HAAAAW!”Alison kept bucking before several brays escaped her lips. The shock of braying was enough to silence her.
"Did I just…"
Emily nodded. Stephanie exhaled sharply and chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"I've never heard a donkey swear before," Stephanie said. "It was pretty funny."
Alison stuck out her tongue. "I don't normally swear. I'm a good girl."
"Well, we shouldn't freak out like that," Emily said. "Panicking must make the donkey instincts and stuff stronger."
"But it felt kinda good," Alison said. "I wish I could kick that man's head a few times like that."
"Me too, Alison, but what if we give in too much and we change even more on the inside?" Emily asked.
Alison hung her head and looked scared. A tear ran down her cheek. "I don't wanna be a dumb donkey."
"Donkeys aren't dumb, Alison," Stephanie said. "They just don't get to go to school and other stuff."
"Wait, you braying gave me an idea," Emily said. "What if we pretend we can't talk anymore? Maybe then they'll send us somewhere and we can tell someone there the truth and they can help!"
"Then they might find a way to change us back and we can go home," Alison said.
Stephanie hung her head.
"I know you wanna stay this way Stephanie but it's too dangerous," Emily said.
"I know it's dangerous and I know it's best for all of us to change back," Stephanie said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"If we stay too much longer, we might get worse," Emily said. "If we can only bray, we won't be able to tell anyone who we are."
"At least that way if we do donkey stuff, no one will know we're not real donkeys so maybe they won't get mad," Stephanie said.
"Maybe but then they won't know who we are so they might be mean to us because they think it's okay," Emily said.
Stephanie stomped a fore hoof and swished her tail back and forth before bucking a few times.
"Why are people mean to donkeys? Just because we're donkeys doesn't mean we're not people anymore," Alison asked.
"People are jerks," Stephanie said. "They should leave donkeys alone."
"But people need donkeys to do work people can't do," Emily said.
"I guess but why can't people just leave us alone and let us enjoy life?" Stephanie asked. "I should be able to say what I get to do and get to be. It's my life! Just because I turned into a donkey doesn't mean I should have to do certain stuff."
"Stephanie, think about it. That's just the sort of thinking that got us into this mess," Emily said. "We wanted to have fun instead of doing chores, going to school and other stuff they make girls do."
"That's annoying too," Stephanie said. "Just because I was a girl doesn't mean they had to force me to do that stuff."
Stephanie again stomped a hoof and beat her tail back and forth. This time, several annoyed brays escaped Stephanie's lips.
"Are you okay Stephanie?" Emily asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. That felt weird. It was like normal to do it," Stephanie said. "It didn't feel so bad."
"Maybe, but you saw the girls who couldn't talk that were in those crates," Emily said. "What if changing all the way like that made them lose control forever?"
"I know that sounds scary but what if feels good? It felt kinda good to bray and swish my tail," Stephanie said. "At least now they can act like donkeys and not feel guilty."
"Maybe but what if they can't help it? Do you want to end up like that?" Emily asked. "Then who will help us? Then who will help them?"
"I don't want to end up, you know crazy or something," Alison said.
Stephanie nodded. "Okay, you win Emily, I see what you mean. It would be pretty scary if we went crazy and lost control. I still don't like grown-ups making us do stuff though."
"I know it's dumb but someone has to do that stuff," Emily said. "If no one worked, then we'd have no treats or anything."
"I know, but it's still annoying," Stephanie said.
Emily nodded.
"Do you think that pretending to bray will fool him?" Alison asked.
"It might be worth trying but what if once we start braying, we can't stop?" Stephanie asked.
"Or what if the man doesn't believe us?" Alison asked again.
"I don't know but we have to try something," Emily said.
Alison gave the door another buck.
"I still wanna try and get free," Alison said. "Come on girls, maybe if we all kick the door, it'll break."
"What if doing that makes us bray?" Stephanie asked.
"We'll stop if one of us brays," Emily said.
Emily nodded. She and Stephanie joined Alison. All three bucked as hard as they could. Emily felt the door starting to give.